Australian betting sites

Australians can legally and safely gamble with online bookmakers regulated in Australia. This means we can access 1000s of sport and racing markets on events both at home and overseas. Never before has sports wagering had such global appeal with Aussies betting on everything from the AFL to the NBA. It’s a truly 24/7 industry and BettingSite.com.au is dedicated to helping you walk through the minefield and make the correct decisions when gambling on the Internet.

Best Australian bookmakers

BettingSite is 100% independent and Australian-owned. Our staff punt at the same bookmakers they write about and are passionate about working in this industry and intent on giving something back to our readers. If they don’t like a bookie, or they have received oil that a website is doing the dodgy we won’t hesitate to inform and steer you clear of them.

William Hill: William Hill, formerly Sportingbet, is one of the biggest online betting sites in Australia and is licensed in the Northern Territory. It offers betting on a wide range of racing and sporting events in Australia and abroad. William Hill Australia review.

Crownbet: Crownbet was originally launched in 2014 as BetEasy by the former owner of Sportsbet, Matt Trip, before he joined forces with Crown Resorts boss James Packer. Provides a sensational product for AFL and NRL punters, plus their spring racing coverage, including vision, is second to none. Crownbet review.

Sportsbet: Sportsbet has been operating in Australia since 1993. The company was bought by Ireland’s biggest bookmaker, Paddy Power, in December 2010 and has continued to grow. Dominates the market share in NSW and provides many features and bonuses to loyal punters. Sportsbet review.

Bet365: Bet365 is one of the largest online betting and gaming companies across the globe with more than 14 million customers from 200 countries. The UK-based company is also licensed in the Northern Territory, the most respected licensing jurisdiction in Australia.

Luxbet: Luxbet is backed by Tabcorp, one of the world’s largest publicly listed gambling companies, and was launched in 2008. Offers a range of odds and markets on a wide variety of racing and sporting events.

PalmerBet: PalmerBet was established by brothers Grant and Andrew Palmer, with the online bookmaker service operating under the regulation of Racing NSW, while in respect to sports betting it is also regulated by the NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing.

TopBetta: A young Australian betting site licensed in Norfolk Island which largely focuses on domestic sports. A real feature of the site is the betting tournaments available.

Unibet: A respected gambling destination that has great markets for football right across the globe. The bookies is licensed to operate by the Northern Territory Gambling Commission and has a good reputation for taking larger wagers.

Centrebet: This bookie is one older Aussies will know well, but it was only late 2016 it was relaunched by William Hill. They market themselves as having better odds, no gimmicks, no bonuses and a complete Fixed Odds service. We must say we have been super-impressed with the odds on offer on Australian and New Zealand racing. Centrebet review.

Neds: Offers Australian and New Zealand horse and greyhound racing, as well as international horse racing and harness markets. There’s also a dedicated Melbourne Cup section. Sports range from Australian rules, tennis, American football, esports, and much more. New punters can sign up to receive their first bet matched plus a $100 bonus bet. Neds.com.au review.

Madbookie: Is licensed to operate in Northern Territory and is owned by Topbetta Holdings, after its sale in 2017. It has yet to be announced if it will have The Global Tote integrated into it, but is definitely a bookie to keep an eye on.

Ladbrokes: A global brand that has made a big impact in Australia since landing here a few years back. Has great horse racing market including several promising promotions. Ladbrokes is definitely worth being a member of.

Sport and racing in Australia

Bookmakers in Australia all have one thing in common – they will offer wagering on the three major codes of racing. It is the biggest money-spinner for bookies which means they get very competitive when it comes to securing your business.

One of the biggest growth areas in wagering and particularly online is sports betting with more and more Australians taking an interest in the daily offering from around the globe.

What is BettingSite.com.au’s role in this landscape? We are intent on giving a service to secure your patronage. We want to cover the sports and racing events Australians care about. We aim to listen to our readership and continue to improve our coverage of the big events.

American football: While the key event in the NFL is the Super Bowl, Australians have a growing fascination with the entire season. Other prominent Australians to have played in the NFL include Darren Bennett and Saverio Rocca, who both started their careers in Aussie rules before becoming kickers.

AFL: The no.1 football code in the country is a huge betting sport. Richmond won the 2017 decider, breaking one of the longest premiership droughts in the competition. It mirrored the Western Bulldogs 2016 win after they broke a 61-year premiership hiatus. Prior to this Hawthorn had won three flags in a row to make them the most successful, alongside Brisbane, modern team.

Baseball: Another sport based in the USA, that has a big following with punters on our shores. As a wagering sport it has many dedicated fans. There are competitions based all around the world that you can bet on, but without a doubt the Major League in the USA is the no.1 drawcard

Basketball: The NBL is growing and growing in popularity in recent years and the talent leaving Australia for the NBA and European League is staggering. Australians also wager on the NBA and European leagues with it usually on during daytime hours in AEST time.

Boxing/UFC: The UFC has stolen the mantle as the most popular fighting code in the world and the punters love it. Most Aussie bookies will have extensive markets on both boxing and MMA.

Cricket: Australia is set to host the old enemy, England, in a five Test series in the 2017-18 summer. The Big Bash will also take centre stage over a six week period. Cricket is also one of the most popular sports to bet on in the world with huge interest coming from the sub continent. BettingSite.com.au will cover Test match cricket, T20s and One Day Internationals from a gambling perspective.

Esports: Competition video games are very popular in many countries in the world, with more than one professional league getting around. This has made it one of the growing niches in sports betting with many of the major bookies and dedicated esports wagering sites taking bets on it.

Cycling: While it’s not as popular in Australia as other places, cycling wagering is readily available at Australian bookmakers. Many of our best cyclists compete in European events like the Tour de France and various other events.

Golf: Australia has long held a love affair with golf, with many of us growing up with Greg Norman the best player in the world. Not that much has changed with the Aussies still at the top of world golf with names like Jason Day and Adam Scott some of the best in the world.

Horse racing: The gallops in Australia are no.1 and the bookies are all over both regional and metropolitan meetings. The crowning race in Australia is the Melbourne Cup but races like the Caulfield Cup, the Golden Slipper and the Cox Plate draw international attention.

Greyhound racing: Greyhound racing is a popular racing code in Australia that has gone through some troubled times over the last few years with its ban and reinstatement in NSW. The sport was also banned in the ACT at tail end of 2017.

Harness racing: It might not have the pulling power it did 30 years ago but harness racing, or the trots, is still a popular sport to wager on. It is held in major cities and in regional centres. All decent bookies will have extensive harness racing odds and bet types.

NRL: The major rugby code in Australia features teams from both here and in New Zealand. It’s also regarded as the strongest domestic rugby comp in the world and a breeding ground for many of the best players. Betting wise, much like the AFL, there are 100s of different markets, including futures.

Soccer/Football: The A League is the premier soccer competition in Australia with it seemingly growing in popularity each year. Household names to have played in the A League include Harry Kewell, Archie Thompson and Kevin Muscat. Aussies also love punting on the English Premier League and various other European leagues.

Finding the best odds with online bookmakers

While most sports books offer betting on the similar racing and sporting events, there can often be considerable differences in the odds advertised. For this reason, we suggest opening an account with each of our recommended bookmakers so you can compare and examine the markets for each event you wish to bet on, to ensure you are getting the best possible value and return for your dollar. By signing up with each bookie, you can claim thousands of dollars worth of bonus bets.

All offer unique promotions for sporting events, such as refunds for missing one leg of a multi-bet, justice bets and fair go refunds if something out of the ordinary occurs which forces a losing wager, and bonus deals in the lead-up to major tournaments and events.

Mobile and tablet betting

Gambling on our smartphones and tablets wi-fi or 4G connections is more common-place than using our telephone accounts or betting via our desktop computers. The stats back this up with over 50% of real money bets placed via a mobile device in the last 18 months.

This means bookies pour money into developing their mobile websites and apps and the end result is a better product for the punter. You won’t find an Aussie bookie without a full-fledged mobile website and most of them also have apps available from the iOS and Android stores.

Mobile operating systems compatible with on-the-go betting include:

Android

Apple iOS

Windows

BlackBerry

Symbian

Older WAP and data-enabled devices

Are betting sites safe?

The point of having regulatory bodies like the Northern Territory Gambling Commission is to keep the bookies in check. They make sure the punter is not being ripped off by providing guidelines for the bookie to operate by, while also giving the punter a channel of communication if anything goes wrong.

Where you can get yourself in trouble is if you wager with offshore betting sites. It’s still unlikely you will be compromised by the bookie with plenty of good ones operating out of other countries, but we hear plenty of stories about people who have had their winnings taken or have not been able to cash out.

While BettingSite.com.au firmly believes you should wager with betting sites licensed in Australia, if you insist on betting offshore make sure you do your homework by reading reviews and about other peoples experiences at the chosen website.

With Australian bookies you are guaranteed a level of privacy, including the knowledge your banking transactions are secured by SSL technology, which is the same safeguard big banks in Australia use to keep their clients money safe.

In most cases, funds will appear in your betting account immediately, and depending on the withdrawal method you choose, requesting your funds to be taken out can take a couple of business days to be processed.

Contact and support

Each online bookmaker we endorse has dedicated customer support services to help with inquiries (via phone, email, and live Web chat). If you would like to get in contact with the team at BettingSite.com.au, send us an email at [email protected] or via our contact us page, and we will happily answer your queries. Happy punting!

We encourage responsible gambling. If you feel like betting is becoming an issue for you, there are a range of gambling support services you can turn to, including Lifeline and Gambling Help Online.